Ready
by owmylasagna
Summary: When Edd invites Eddy to sleep over, he doesn't realize what sort of night he is in for. The two teens are forced to confront their rapidly maturing relationship. EddyEdd, high school.
1. Chapter 1

Most teenage boys wouldn't exactly admit to having "sleep-overs". Staying up late, Watching movies, playing video games, sifting through pornographic magazines, scoffing down junk food, and the occasional theft from the liquor cabinet constituted an appropriate cover for a sleep-over, though one would never call it by that childish name. It was a Thursday evening, after school had let out, that the three Eds shuffled back to the cul-de-sac. Making it to Friday seemed torturous for two thirds of the pack; the remaining one-third was rather excited to make the finishing touches on his chemistry lab report. In that moment, Sarah came nagging with Jimmy in tow and ceremoniously grabbed Ed by the ear. He was in some sort of trouble. Again. She dragged him away, leaving Edd and Eddy to themselves. As they arrived at Edd's door, Edd asked if Eddy would want to sleep over that Saturday. Eddy's mind jammed a bit at the use of the phrase but it didn't take long for the cogs to start violently turning in his squared head. But nothing was said beyond a simple acceptance and they parted shortly after sneaking a quick kiss on the front steps.

Saturday approached, and Eddy prepared.

A knock came from the door around 8 pm that night. Edd opened the door for his guest, clearing his throat and glaring down at the mud-tracking sneakers Eddy was nearly inches from planting on the freshly cleaned floor. Eddy rolled his eyes and in an exaggerated manner gingerly untied his laces and placed his shoes so they perfectly aligned besides Edd's shoes. He smiled a devilishly sweet smile, to which his friend chuckled in response with a hand modestly above his mouth.

"Shall we?" Double D suggested as he motioned towards the stairs.

"Ladies first, Double Dear" jested Eddy with batted eyelashes. He wasn't going to miss an opportunity at getting front row seats to the wonder known as Edd's ass. And Edd was completely aware of Eddy's intentions but knowingly rolled his eyes and led their ascension of the stairs. He wasn't opposed to treating Eddy's need for eye candy every once in a while.

They turned the corner into Edd's room, which was as green and tidy as ever. Eddy lurched his bag down. He wished he'd packed lighter, but everything had to be perfectly coordinated and all the items were necessary. Though he noticed the size and weight of Eddy's bag, Edd hadn't thought much of it. It seemed like an awful lot for one night...

With urgency the shorter of the two bodies rushed to the taller, embracing him around the waist and pulling him in. Edd peeped a small sound of surprise at the sudden tug and proximity but followed suit by wrapping his arms around Eddy's shoulders. The two teenage boys smiled at one another. A familiar fuzziness rushed to their heads, something that happened whenever they were more intimate. No, they weren't boyfriends. At least they didn't believe so nor did they care to think so. Labeling it hadn't mattered, not when they were in middle school and not now that they were in high school. Was it a secret? Sure. They kept moments like this between themselves and the secret only with Ed. Boyfriends? The word had yet to cross their minds.

They leaned in towards one another and kissed briefly. They kissed a second time and Edd took notice of the stubble pricking his face. The recent development of facial hair made Eddy ecstatic; he'd been waiting for years to sport this milestone sign of maturity. Little had Edd known before then that the tiny pricks from Eddy's upper lip would set fireworks off in his brain. Both boys continued to explore one another's topographies with their hands; Eddy went straight for Edd's lower back. He knew the banana arch of Double D's back was a treasure trove of nerves that always caused Edd's weak little legs to wobble and knees to knock in pleasure. Edd on the other hand cupped the prickly pink cheeks of his friend as they continued laying savory kiss after savory kiss on each other's lips.

They came for air, giddy and grinning wide, faces heated and eyes heavily lidded.

"Hey you," Eddy huffed the words like an arrow aimed at the gap in Edd's teeth. Both smiled wider. Then, the boy in the hat took a step back, hands still cupping the pink one's cheeks and left thumb tenderly swaying across the surface.

"If you don't mind, I will need to excuse myself to use the lavatory and to change into something more comfortable. You are welcome to settle yourself more agreeably" Edd stated as he released the hold on Eddy and walked over to one of his dressers. Eddy's smile dropped and his eyes widened, an expression unseen by his companion. He did not turn until he heard footsteps exit the room.

A scheming grin crept on Eddy's face. Swiftly, he turned to close the door. He had work to do.

Edd's steps patted softly down the hallway, cushioned by the spongy soles of his footy pajamas. He arrived at his closed door and softly knocked.

"Eddy. Would entrance be permitted?"

Sounds of movement could be heard in the room, shuffling feet and stumbling then the rustling of items and clanking noises. Edd leaned his ear towards the door to better hear.

"Eddy?"

"Uh, yeah? Ho- hold on… just a sec!"

The inkling that Eddy was arranging a practical joke of some sort crossed Double D's mind. He was getting anxious at the thought of somebody, especially the perpetually-scheming Eddy, rummaging through his room and destroying the meticulous order of everything inside. Outside the door, Edd fumed, riddled with anxiety and annoyance.

"Eddy, allow me access to my room."

The only response came in the form of the ambiguous noises on the other side of the door. Edd's patience was wearing thinner. Maybe if he was more urgent…

"I repeat, allow me to enter my bedroom this instant!"

"Did ya hear me or what? Slow your roll." Eddy barked back. The noises continued, taunting Edd who could not see what their cause was. At that moment he grabbed for the doorknob as his nerves took over his sense of manners. Then again, manners were not reserved for those that trifled through **his** possession in **his **own residence.

The door swung open.

"Eddy!"

"Hey!" Eddy yelled back defensively. After recovering from Eddy's shrill yell, Double D stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened as he scanned the room, attentive to the changes. None of his items were rearranged but instead the floor and a majority of surfaces were littered with candles, mismatched and nearly three-fourths of them lit. Eddy stood at the foot of the bed, a candle in one hand and lighter in the other. To no avail, he swung his hands behind his back to hide the items.

"Get out!"

"Pardon?! I believe an explanation is in order?"

"Why are you wearing THAT?"

Edd looked down at himself, and with furrowed brows gazed back at Eddy.

"My night attire may not be pleasing to you but I implore once again on the happenings of this room. Do you know how hazardous it is to have a large quantity of open flames in close proximity?"

Eddy stomped over to Edd, brushing passed his shoulder and slamming the door behind them. Double D crossed his arms and looked to Eddy for an answer.

"But why the footy pajamas? Why!?" Eddy groaned.

Eddy's side-stepping of the issue exasperated Edd, who then leaned over to the nearest candle on his night stand and blew it out.

"Don't blow em out! I'm gonna have to light em all over. Anyway, I can't understand why you thought putting that… **thing** on was a good idea."

Eddy now crossed his arms and cocked his left eye-brow up, giving Edd a critical up-and-down.

"I don't suppose you surmised we would remain in our _day-clothing_ the entire night. Was it not evident that I…" Double D stopped short in his sentence. Frozen in lecturing stance, finger stilled raised and mouth agape, the reality of the situation settled in by his own words and by the flickering candles. Further suggestion was made when Eddy gave his companion a trademark mischievous smile that hinted at the accidental verbal cue. In that moment, the weight of the situation hit the taller of the two boys.

"Oh dear. Oh…" Edd grabbed onto the nightstand for support. His heart was racing. Sweat was running from beneath his hat and down his face. He babbled nonsense for a few seconds before, breathlessly, making coherent sentences.

"You are suggesting that we… Tonight? _Copulate?_ I- I was certainly not under pretense to believe we would- How extemporaneous! How-"

Edd was cut off by the clicking of a button. He hadn't even noticed during his nervous ranting that Eddy had placed a tape in a boom-box, both items seemingly apparating from nowhere. Eddy stood with his finger over the play button as the sound of Barry White's sensual grunt cued the intro to "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up".

Eddy didn't catch much of what Edd was saying. He was getting lost in the words he didn't know, which Double D used especially under stress which never helped. He seemed a little nervous but that was normal, Eddy thought. He closed in on the taller Edd. He placed the boom-box on Edd's desk, accidently knocking the text "Theoretical Physics and You?" off. He no sooner was on top of his prey.

"Guess it's the kind of thing we should be doing, don't ya think?" The shorter teen ran his finger down the heaving and palpitating chest of the other. Devilish eyes met with flustered and surprised ones.

"Look at it this way, Double D; we're in your room, it's the dead of the night, just me and you. I set the candles up, we do a little smoochin' and neckin' and foolin' around and BAM!…" Double D flinched slightly and emitted a surprised squeak, not only from Eddy's booming onomatopoeia but from the abrasive… _invasive_… mental image. "Should go over without a hitch, don't you think? Why else would ya want me here?"

"To spend time with you! Alone time, yes, but I fail to recall mentioning…" Edd's eyes shifted back and forth and covering his mouth whispered "…_sexual intercourse_" lest his parents should over-hear their bickering. Heavens, if they ever heard pleasurable moans and the creaking of the mattress… Edd couldn't bear to think of it!

"Hold on. So that's a "no"?" Eddy asked, confused.

"Oh, well. Eddy… I- I don't really…" Edd trailed off. He was confused too, mostly from being taken by surprise. Eddy, on the other hand, was deflated. Stumped. What he thought to be a straightforward invitation turned out to be a dud.

"Yeah, what's a guy s'pposed to think when their asked to come over?" retorted Eddy, attempting to keep his voice lowered. A good amount of built up energy was raging inside the short teenager whether that energy be from unsatisfied sexual gratification or from the rejection overall. Most likely both. He trudged over to the far end of Edd's bed and sat. The built up energy translated in his posture; Eddy hunched over, legs wide, elbows resting on each thigh, and hands clasped tightly together, wringing the fingers between one another.

"If ya ain't ready" he kept his gaze down between his feet on the floor, "then fine. Guess I was kind of an idiot thinkin' you'd want to do it." The hunched figure scrunched tighter into itself. Eddy's hand reached up to rub the back of his neck, then to swiftly slick through his styled hair. Edd, standing beside the night-stand topped by the snuffed candle he'd blown out minutes ago, took a deep breath for composure. Releasing the air from his lungs with a sigh Edd took a cautious step forward. Eddy grabbed the brim of his nose, eyes closed tight and eyebrows tensed. Edd noticed and gave the silence a few more seconds. Well, not exactly silence. Barry White was still singing in the background, but not much longer as he was cut short by Edd's finger. He took the few steps to his bed and stood beside Eddy.

"May I?"

"It's your bed, Sockhead."

It wasn't the approval to sit on his own bed that he needed but the knowledge that Eddy was willing to begin a discussion. Edd hoped it wouldn't flare either of their tempers, at least not considerably. Eddy wished his hormones would take a breather. The teenager clad in footy pajamas took his place on the bed's edge, seated with a tall and straight back and one leg tucked beneath the other. Crossed hands resting on the top knee supported the long upright torso. Edd turned to the hunched over Eddy, cleared his throat, and began.

"Eddy?"

A groan acted as a reply, as the boulder-like Ed planted his face into his palms. Eddy couldn't bring himself to look up. Hell, he was embarrassed, flustered, horny, angry! He was feeling more things than he wanted to and trying to keep it mostly under cap. If that meant not looking at the face that drove him wild in more ways than one he had no choice but to continue clasping his eyelids shut. It wasn't easy as Double D persisted, coaxing and coaxing, purring Eddy's name, finally reaching out a reassuring hand to his forearm. Eddy was always shocked by how electric soft touches could be. It was a mixture of insecurity of being touched and yearning to be touched, though he'd never admit it. That was enough to get his eyes to meet Edd's.

"Now, Eddy... A discuss is in order. Incorporating more intimate sexual activity and divulging into the act of intercourse are two topics of substantial gravity. Wouldn't you agree?"

Eddy noticeably became a bit redder in the face.

"Shit. Yeah, Romeo! But I don't see what we need to talk about. I get what happened. I made a mistake, you don't want to do it, and y'know what? I can wait. We'll wait till then. Right?"

"Correct, Eddy, but wh-"

"So what's to **discuss**? That's it, right?"

Eddy looked at Edd with scrutinizing eyes. Edd felt the weight of the look and bit at his lower lip.

"Well…"

"_Well?_"

Another moment of tense silence fell upon the boys. Both were energized with nerves. Eddy was clearly ready to drop the discussion but Double D knew it was in both their best interests to continue. Years of practice kept him patient, though he had to admit Eddy had improved considerably when it came to listening and containing his outbursts. He was appreciative of his efforts, despite how much discomfort that meant for Eddy. That didn't mean they stopped fighting completely.

"I intend to state an intuition, a hypothesis if you will. I am not expecting you to take it well so, if need be, take appropriate mental preparation … or physical precaution."

The sound of whatever this was already made Eddy boil a bit, but he brought his insides down to a simmer. He rolled his eyes, lulling his head and gaze to Edd with an expression on his face reading 'wouldn't I like to know'. Edd readjusted his weight slightly. He gulped his drying tongue before letting the words spill.

"I don't believe you are ready for sex."


	2. Chapter 2

"WHAT!?"

Eddy nearly shot through the roof as he flew off the bed. He turned sharply to face Edd, anger radiating from his body and written all over his expression. Instinctively, Edd flinched but no contact was made.

"You think **I'm** not **ready**!?" Eddy huffed, stomping in a circle with his arms in the air. "Well, I've got news for ya… You just wait." He turned to his bag on the floor and began digging into it.

"First of all, pretty sure you noticed that I was trying to create _ambience_ to set the **mood**. Note the candles, the music…" Eddy spat out over his right shoulder, hands deep into his bag. A moment later, Edd was taken by surprise when red petals came flying at him. He then took notice that they were in fact _rose petals_; bruised, but real none-the-less. They were aggressively thrown at him by the handful and he attempted to block his face from the bombardment.

"See these? Stinkin' rose petals!" Eddy shouted, throwing the last bunch of petals at Edd. "Not cheap either, Sockhead…" All Edd could do was panic from the attack and then from the realization of what a _mess _Eddy was making_._ He attempted to gather them into his hands but was interrupted by Eddy a second time. Unlike the gentle slapping of the satiny petals, a pair of leopard skin underwear shot like a rubber-band bulls-eyed for Edd's face was much more abrasive and painful. Edd gagged a choked yelp at the assault on his face.

"Real sexy, huh!?" Eddy continued his aggressive display, once again digging into the bag. "Not ready. Not ready, my **ass**! Just wait 'till ya see this!" Eddy spun around and swiftly shoved his full hand in Edd's face; from Eddy's fingers a chain of condoms unraveled. Edd's eyes followed the cascade and he gulped loudly. His eyes met Eddy's. Both were red in the face. The condoms feel onto Edd's laps and Eddy dove back into the bag.

"And the piece-of-resistance," Eddy barked and turned one last time shoving his arm forward. In his extended hand this time was a bottle of lubricator. As Edd sucked in his lip and looked at the bottle, Eddy stared him down. His breath was heavy from his fit and he waited for Edd to say something. When silence was the only response, he threw the bottle back in his back and sighed in his hands. He laughed half-heartedly and muttered to himself, "Heh, 'not ready'."

Edd, flustered, was reminded of the mess of rose petals surrounding him. As he went back to picking them up, he gingerly lifted the packages of condoms off his lap as if they were delicate glass and placed them on the night stand. He took a deep breath, a long sigh, and looked to Eddy whom was sitting slumped on the floor facing away from him. Now that the petals were in a neat pile, he could continue where he left off.

"There is a difference between preparation and maturity. The readiness I meant to address was of the latter sort." Edd cautiously walked to Eddy and kneeled down to give him a soft hug from behind. With his chin on Eddy's left shoulder, Edd whispered "Please come talk with me". Eddy could feel himself relaxing under Edd's affection. He couldn't help it; there was something Double D could do that he couldn't explain. He could equally infuriate and tranquilize him in the span of 2 minutes. Eddy complied and they both returned to sit on the bed, hands clasped.

"I'm listenin'."

"Though physical, mental, and social factors are pushing your choice in action I sense that underlying insecurities and fixations may be detrimental in continuation of said sexual activity." Eddy stared blankly, then allowing an eyebrow to arch in confusion.

"Fixations? Yer pullin' some Freud B.S. on me, aren't you." Eddy was a bit aggravated that he was being psychoanalyzed by Double D, but he was also interested in getting an explanation. Edd gave Eddy's hands a reassuring squeeze and continued.

"My only intent is to assist you and guide us through our burgeoning sexual life. We are at a critical period in our adolescence, what with hormonal urges and societal pressures. But I am willing to admit that I too lack the mental maturity to proceed at a more rapid rate. Sure, the thought has arisen in my mind; it's only natural, I suppose. My curiosity concerning sexual endeavors has been awoken but I know that I've yet to attain the mental and emotional state of maturity to manifest those fantasies into reality."

Eddy cut him off: "That's you, but what about **me**?"

"I suspect similarly of you, though I must be frank; there is an additional constituent that concerns me". Edd looked to Eddy's eyes to read them. Eddy looked away; he wasn't sure if he liked Edd reading him like a book and if the eyes were windows to the soul, he wasn't letting him have any of it. The diverted gaze said enough to Edd. It told him that Eddy had a fleeting idea of what was to follow. To soothe him, Edd caressed the top of Eddy's hand.

"If my memory does not fail me, I recall a substantial amount of your developmental years revolving around a fixation with overtly sexual images and messages. Be it your magazines or manuals in wooing the opposite sex, your concept of human sexuality has been warped. It's a rather common consequence of modern society, really; distorted realities designed to feed consumerist gains, manipulating the ways in which people view themselves and others so that one may profit. The deceptive nature of the images you've grown up with create experiences and ideas that aren't real. Well, essentially they exist but can hardly represent a truer, more genuine reality. You would be surprised by the amount of technological finagling that goes on behind closed doors! I digress-" Edd took a moment to look at Eddy, and then a thought hit him.

"You are being very cooperative. Are you listening?"

"Yes, Sockhead! And if ya want me to keep cooperatin', hurry it up will ya'?"

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry. You know how I'm so easily consumed by my thoughts… Continuing where I last left off, I mean to project that my concern lies in your amount of comfort regarding intercourse and sexuality. Your exposure is limited to manufactured fallacy. When it comes to the topic, you avoid even _saying_ the word "sex", which raised in me a question of your mental mindset. We've yet to discuss it _together_, which is crucial! Though you've immersed yourself in a culture of sex and seduction, it's hardly applicable to the real-life emotional veracity of sexual exploration. You are_ desensitized_ to the physicality of human sexuality and additionally have less experience in regard to the promise of emotional attainment." Edd stopped. He bit at his lip and looked away nervously. What he wanted to say next may hurt Eddy's feelings, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to bring too much onto his mind at once. But, if he was going to have this talk Edd felt it necessary to address his last concern. "I know you've been struggling to trust physical intimacy, and it's understandable. We don't need to talk about it at this moment, but your detachment of emotion to sexual activities is a strong line of defense." Tears couldn't be stopped from welling in Edd's eyes.

Eddy held his breath. A sick filling hit his gut as the memories flooded. But he shook them from his head. He could feel a whimper catching in the back of his throat, but this too he tried to keep from surfacing. Without thought, Eddy fell into Edd's chest and grabbed onto the fabric of Edd's pajamas. Edd, surprised by the hug, whispered to Eddy, "But every day, I see you getting stronger. I see you learning to feel. To love…"

The word hung in the air. _Love._ Eddy couldn't hold back his tears and let them soak into Edd's chest. Edd two couldn't help but let the tears run, and tenderly rested his head on Eddy's while soothingly rubbing his back. Eddy's hands were needy and firm and they pulled Edd close.

"I hate when yer right" Eddy choked into the folds of Edd's body.

Edd sighed and smiled softly, lifting Eddy's face up to meet his. He kissed Eddy's forehead before responding, "Would you rather me be wrong?"

"No. I just wish** I** wasn't always…"

"Wrong?" Edd inquired.

Eddy sighed, "Yeah, _'wrong'_."

"Oh hush. That's not even remotely true. Your stubbornness blows my interventions out of proportion. I only mean to help you as I'm concerned for you."

"What, you don't trust me to figure my own shit out?"

"Denying assistance from someone who cares deeply for you is not noble, Eddy. And it certainly doesn't make you 'right'."

"Yer not perfect." Eddy huffed, shoving his face into Edd's chest. Edd sighed. Their normal bickering was almost a relief. They stayed for a moment in an embrace, Edd playing with Eddy's hair. Eddy eventually shifted and sat up.

"Should probably clean these candles up."

"We certainly should, similarly these rose petals and…" Edd turned behind himself and grabbed the pair of leopard print underwear. He dangled them between him and Eddy, "_these delightful intimates._" Eddy snatched them from Edd's hands with a blush and grumbled, then began the process of blowing out the candles. Edd giggled at Eddy's embarrassment and proceeded in blowing out each tiny flame. Once the petals discarded and wax solidified enough to pack away the candles, Eddy changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt. Roughly 11 PM, the taller of the two teens could feel sleepiness creeping in. He proceeded in his nightly ritual of brushing his teeth, flossing, and washing his face. Eddy challenged his efforts by fighting over the sink the entire time to brush his own teeth. While Eddy dribbled foamy toothpaste down his chin, jokingly growling like a rabid beast at Edd, Edd rolled his eyes as he methodically ran the mechanical toothbrush over every molar, cuspid, and bicuspid.

Returning to the room, they both shimmied their way into the bed. Sure; the fit was tight, but the closeness was welcomed and desired. Now only 11:15, the two boys weren't necessarily ready to sleep but instead spent an hour or so talking, kissing, cuddling, enjoying the other's presence. They admitted a weight was lifted from their chests, and maybe now that they were communicating more openly about sex it would be easier to approach, paced and with awareness. They talked until their eyelids became heavy and eventually lulled one another to sleep with soft caresses, a warm embrace, and the intoxicating scent of the dear boy in his arms.


End file.
